Rilt
by OE
Summary: This one takes place in the Northlands, right before Redwall...on Chapter 3. Please R&R! Tells a bit of some Redwall characters', such as Matthias, histories.
1. The Ocean

The wind whistled through the trees as a tall, old squirrel walked down the North Path by Redwall Abbey. He strode up to the doors, and rapped sharply upon them with a long, knobbled hardwood stick. The doors opened, and a huge female badger said, "Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Pyrati, son of Riltalear. All I wish is a place to settle down and live."  
  
"Very well, Pyrati, you are welcome here at Redwall Abbey."  
  
The old squirrel walked into the Abbey grounds, concealing his wonder at the magnificent Abbey. He strode into the Great Hall, and into the dining hall. Dinner was about to be served. Warm grayling on a winter's night never did anybeast harm. He set his pack down on a small table off to the side, and ate dinner happily with the beasts of Redwall.  
  
Afterwards, he collected his pack. A small, rolled-up bag fell out, and the bindings became undone. About 20 rolls of parchment fell out. Pyrati hurried to gather them, but the female badger stopped him.  
  
"Is this a story? The Redwallers would like to hear it," the badger, Russet, said.  
  
The squirrel groaned and smiled at the same time, showing that he was willing to tell the story. He sat down on the small table as Russet called for order. Pyrati began.  
  
"This is the story of Riltalear, my father. I have called the story Rilt!  
  
"It all began on one winter's night…"  
  
  
  
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CHAPTER ONE  
  
  
  
A swift wind blew through the cold pine forests on a tall mountain. Most of the mountain's inhabitants had left, south for warmth and sun. However, one beast remained. A small squirrel, only six or seven seasons old, huddled in a small dugout in a cavity of an oak tree. His bushy tail wrapped around him like a vine. Every now and then, a small head would peek over his legs, and you would see flashing golden eyes, full of a fire that made you feel brave. This was Riltalear, the squirrel with no past.  
  
Rilt, as he called himself, could stand this forest no longer. The pine trees were bare with the wind and cold, and the sun shone on the plains below, near the ocean. A lingering memory of a soft pair of arms gently holding him, near the sea, urged him to visit the ocean. The squirrel loitered for a few moments, then sprung out of the oak tree. Rilt rummaged through a pile of clothing in the dugout, and pulled out an old, tattered cloak. Quickly putting it on, he climbed the tree, to the fifth branch up. There, there was a cunningly made wooden door, covered with bark. He pulled it open, and inside was a small sword and shield, with strange markings on it. Rilt had always supposed this was his name in a different language. He silently closed the small door and climbed down the tree.  
  
Rilt strode to the edge of a small cliff, and raised his nose into the air. Catching a whiff of salt and water, he took off down the mountain.  
  
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"Hold that tiller steady, you clumsy oaf!"  
  
A distressed rat adjusted his hold on the wooden handle, and yelled "Aye, aye, Admir'l Casorn!"  
  
A tall ferret, Casorn, strode over to the rat, Meij. "Ah, just git yore hide off'ns the deck, you slobberchops!" The rat murmured something and slowly stood up.  
  
A deep bass voice called "Ya heard yore Admiral, now git yore sorry hide offa this deck, Meij!"  
  
There was a change in the rat's behavior, it was no longer nagging, but was quick to respond. The rat leapt up and ran down the cabins.  
  
"You, Fawpak, you'd better do a better job than yore matey here! Git over here and watch the tiller!"  
  
Fawpak, another rat, bowed and said, "O' course, yore Majesty, King Cammaje!"  
  
Cammaje, a tall, stocky pine marten, towered over all his beasts, ferrets and weasels as admirals, and rats and foxes as soldiers. His dark brown fur glistened in the sun. His fleet, the Mangabey Fleet, had sailed the seas for close to a month now. The crew was getting restless, and the soldiers rebellious. According to his navigators, they were off the maps. The Eastern lands were gone, and they were past the point of return. He thoughts, though, were interrupted by a fox's cry from the crow's nest.  
  
"Land ho!" the fox on duty shouted.  
  
Cammaje dashed to the ropes and pulled himself up to the nest. He saw it, to the south west. "Change course! West by southwest!" he bellowed. Fawpak scrambled to change the tiller's course.  
  
Cammaje turned back to the land sighted. Already, it was getting larger. It was a rolling plain, and on either side, the land elevated, then disappeared. In a few minutes, he could make out a mountain in the background, and cliffs near the shore. He smiled inwardly.  
  
In a few days, they were near enough to shore that Cammaje could make out a cove, surrounded by cliffs. Inland, there was a tall hill, surrounded by gently sloping grassland, which gave away to forest. Relieved that he was finally landing, Cammaje went to sleep in his cabin.  
  
The next morning, he awoke to his anchor dropping, and voices calling for longboats to be lowered. The pine marten dashed up to the deck, and oversaw the boats. His fleet was lined up along the coast, and boats were being lowered. The two admirals stationed on each boat were overseeing the fleet go to shore. Cammaje waited for the last boat, then leapt on and paddled with the rest of the rats and foxes.  
  
The horde lined up on shore. The rats and foxes were grouped in sections of twoscore each, led by their admirals. Cammaje stood on an overturn boat, looking over the entire horde. "You are the Mangabeys! We conquer all!"  
  
"We are the Mangabeys! Find, fight, conquer!"  
  
A small squirrel went unnoticed. His name was Rilt. 


	2. Redwall Abbey

DISCLAIMER  
  
The names: Rilt, Mattyn, Mangabey, Larp, and Foremole Dertclaw are mine and YOU CAN'T USE THEM.  
  
Pretty much everything else, besides the plot, is NOT mine, but Brian Jacques's by all means.  
  
  
  
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The young mouse, Mortimer, though he was called Timer, was excited. Today was Nameday! Today, Abbot Cedric would announce her chosen name for the season. Timer and a few of his friends, like Alf and Rufus and George, had placed small bets on the name. Timer was sure it was going to be Spring of the Wind, as there were very few days without a breeze that spring. On the other paw, Alf had his mind set on Spring of the Apple Tree, for he himself had helped plant an apple orchard into the Abbey. There were other scattered bets, but only Father Abbot knew the real one.  
  
Friar Larp was working overtime with his three helpers. A few Dibbuns insisted to help, but it had the opposite effect, making the Friar so impatient that he threw them out. Ever since Redwall had lost its last Mother Badger, the Dibbuns had been out of control. Even the Abbey had been without an insured leader, until two seasons ago, when Gatekeeper Methuselah had proclaimed the young mouse Cedric Abbot. He shook the thoughts from his mind and continued instructing young Rufe and George in the art of making berry flans.  
  
"Roll that dough out, no! George, roll, not pound! Now, split it into two square halves… Rufus, that's a triangle, square it out. Now, see that wooden bowl by the ovens? It's full of cranberries. Rufus, go get that. George, go see Brother Ralse, ask him for some blueberries."  
  
He sighed, and turned back to his meadowcream cake. Muttering to himself, he slowly spread a layer of meadowcream over the fresh, steaming bread. He only had time to add the mashed strawberry jelly when Rufus tapped his shoulder.  
  
"What next, Friar Larp?"  
  
The old mouse turned to further instruct Rufus and George, when a young mouse came bounding down the Cavern Hole stairs into the kitchen. "Friar! Friar! There are newbeasts in the Abbey!"  
  
"Oh really, Hugo? Who is it?"  
  
"'Tis the Squirrel family, and the Spikes, and some more!" Hugo yelled, then dashed back up the steps to the Cavern Hole. Rufus and George completely abandoned their task, and joined Hugo. Larp rolled his eyes and completed the two mice's berry flans, put them in the oven, and went upstairs to see the visitors.  
  
They were in the Cavern Hole, surrounded by Redwallers. Larp peered over the shoulders and saw the Squirrel family, with their pretty daughter, and the Spikes, with their strong son, Ambrose, and the Churchmouse family, with young John. He saw Timer, Hugo, and Alf run to greet John. Rufus and Joseph pulled Ambrose away to play, and Clemence started gossiping with the Squirrels' daughter, Jess. Hugo sighed. Their Abbey seemed to be filled to the brim with young ones like Rufus and George.  
  
Just then, the door burst open. The moles, covered in dirt, had arrived for the feast! There seemed to be no shortage of young 'uns for them, either. Foremole Dertclaw greeted Abbot Cedric and Friar Larp.  
  
"'Eloo, Abbot Cedrik an' Frar La'p! How's ee's been a-doin'?"  
  
Brother Methuselah, the Gatekeeper, came over and interpreted the quaint mole speech for the Abbot and the Friar. Methuselah had the gift of tongues, and could speak with any creature.  
  
"Foremole says 'Hello, Abbot Cedric and Friar Larp! How have you been doing?'" Methuelah told them.  
  
"Oh, good, Foremole, I assume the same with you?"  
  
"Mm, you'm be roight, by 'okey!" Foremole answered, and broke into a big grin. They shook paws and Foremole waddled off to greet someone else.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened, and the Dibbuns broke into ragged cheers. The otters were here! The Dibbuns' favorite would have to be young Winifred, they ran right up to her and climbed on her shoulders. Winifred dashed around the room with the Dibbuns on her back.  
  
The new badgermum, Constance, rolled her eyes and whispered to Larp, "Those otters are such troublemakers. Don't know which are worse - them or the Dibbuns!" They both laughed.  
  
Redwall was at its peaceful times.  
  
  
  
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Rilt peered over the army below from a cliff. He heard the war cries, "We are the Mangabeys! Find, fight, conquer!" He stood up, and scampered off in the other direction, south. As soon as he reached the trees, he scampered up one, and peered back out to the vermin, seeing if anybeasts were following him. Not a one.  
  
He ran down the tree and, still looking back, ran smack into somebeast. Startled, he peered up. It was a male mouse, holding a babe.  
  
Rilt spoke. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to, you see, there's a -"  
  
The mouse cut him off. "Shh! I know, if you're speaking of the vermin horde, the Mangabeys. Come with me, young 'un!" The mouse hurried off south. Rask swiftly caught up.  
  
"What's your name, sir?" Rask asked. This was the first beast he had ever remembered talking to! Before this, he had only talked to himself. "I used to live by myself, and I never knew anyone, and -"  
  
"My name is Mattyn. Now hush your mouth! By the fur, you talk a lot."  
  
"Who's the liddle feller you're carryin'?"  
  
"His name is Matthias, barely a half a season old," Mattyn said.  
  
Rilt patted Matthias's head, and continued talking to Mattyn. "Traveling with anyone else?" he asked.  
  
Mattyn sighed. "No..."  
  
Rilt pondered this for a moment, and said, "Were you traveling with somebody?"  
  
Mattyn looked down to the ground. The light bounced off his eyes, showing a tear.  
  
Rilt gasped. "I'm so sorry!"  
  
"No, no, it's not your fault," he said. Suddenly, his face turned vicious as he looked back down upon the camping horde. "It's them!" he snarled.  
  
"What did they do?" Rilt asked, before he could stop it.  
  
"They killed Matthias's mother, and my wife! They left me for dead, and they didn't know that Matthias was there. It was a weasel, by the name of Casorn. Ooo, I'll get that weasel, and that's when he'll remember Mattyn the Warrior!" Mattyn fingered a healing cut across his head. "They did this to me, and whacked me a few times with their swords. They took all we had, our meager supplies and few family heirlooms. I'll make them pay, you just wait!"  
  
Rilt looked at his new friend, Mattyn. His eyes were burning with a flame that Rilt had never seen, yet, somehow, there was sorrow and grief with all the anger. Poor Mattyn.  
  
The two friends and little Matthias journeyed southwards, away from the sorrow and grief that was brought on by the Mangabeys. 


	3. The Journey South

Chapter Three  
  
  
  
The Journey South  
  
Mattyn and Rilt treaded on, during the cold, northern winter. Baby Matthias wailed almost constantly until the cold front had come upon them; now he just was quiet and collected. Rilt wondered where they were going, until he asked Mattyn. Mattyn had given him a look that could've turned air into ice. Rilt, startled, had fallen behind a bit. Today, Mattyn had been quiet, so Rilt was content with not talking, although it was hard.  
  
"Hey, Rilt!" Mattyn called.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm sorry about yesterday. We're headed to Redwall Abbey," he said.  
  
Rilt bounded up next to Mattyn. "What's a Redwall Abbey?" he asked, irrepressible.  
  
"It's a building, south o' here, where a group of mice live. They're known for their hospitatlity and kindness. I think it'll be a good place for young Matthias here to grow up." He patted the bundle that was Matthias fondly.  
  
"I can only wish that Rynna was alive to see it..."  
  
"Don't worry, Mattyn, mate, I'll be here for ya'," Rilt reassured him.  
  
Together, the two friends looked south, upon the Barren Lands, and continued their long journey south.  
  
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Gatekeeper Methuselah sighed at the rowdiness of three of his students. Timer, Alf, and Joseph were making jokes and paying no attention to Clemence's reprimands. He looked to the sky, as if for help, and then said, "Timer!"  
  
Young Timer immediately stopped and looked at Methuselah.  
  
"Yes, Brother?" he asked, one paw holding Joseph's neck, and the other raised for a punch.  
  
"Can you tell me what exactly you're doing with Joseph?"  
  
"Well, I'm demonstrating to Alf here how to wrestle," he quickly lied. To Methuselah's rescue came Constance, the new Badgermum.  
  
"Timer, Brother Methuselah isn't that stupid, you know."  
  
Timer hung his head, winked at Alf, and let go of Joseph. Joseph fell to the ground with a soft "whumph." Alf winked back at Timer.  
  
Methuselah lost the little temper he had left. "You young rips aren't good enough to be brought up in this Abbey, with our Order being known for wisdom and kindness!"  
  
The four looked to Constance for defense. Constance shook her head and said, "Brother Methuselah is right, Timer."  
  
"You are dismissed," Methuselah muttered, and turned back to his books.  
  
  
  
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The young squirrel didn't escape from Cammaje's keen eyes. He saw the squirrel run away from the sight of his horde, and had sent some of his most trusted beasts to find him. Yes, five good soldiers. Two rats, two ferrets, and a trusty fox. Cammaje sighed. The Northern Lands would soon be his!  
  
  
  
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The five that were sent to capture the squirrel were hard on the track. One of the rats, a rank and file soldier, however loyal, said, "Lookie here, got 'is tracks agin. Looks like he's travelin' wid some other beast, a mouse, by the looks o' his paws."  
  
Casorn the ferret agreed. "Aye, Tillpaw is right. Look en the mud, the prints are a bit deeper. He must be carryin' somethin' slightly heavy, anuvver beast, mebbe?"  
  
The three others nodded, and Tillpaw and Casorn led the way. Although they didn't know, they were making good time on Rilt and Mattyn. Trouble and misfortune was ahead for the unlucky pair.  
  
  
  
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Rilt yawned and stretched his paws. Tiredly, he said, "Let's stop here for the night, Mattyn."  
  
Mattyn shook his head and continued, going for the small grove of trees. They were soon there, and settled down for the night. Mattyn came up with a cold dinner, so the two didn't light a fire.  
  
Good thing, too.  
  
Casorn sniffed the wind. Mouse! He beckoned silently to the four following him. He climbed a gentle but tall hill, and peered out over the Barren Lands. All except for a few trees, it was open plain.  
  
Suddenly, a wind blew, with the smell of rain on it. Casorn managed to mutter a curse before it started raining quite hard.  
  
"By the claw! This rain'll wipe away their tracks!" one of the rats, Fellkaw, said.  
  
"No kiddin', now shaddup, yew stooped! We might be able to gain a bit..." Tillpaw reprimanded. The five trekked on, aware of the battering rain on their shoulders.  
  
"'Ead for the trees, mates! At least we'll not git too wet there!" the fox, Trassen yelled, running for the grove.  
  
Mattyn jerked up out of his sleep. He sniffed through the rain, and smelled smoke! He looked over towards Rilt. He silently gasped at what he saw past him.  
  
Five vermin, two rats, two ferrets, and a fox, were making their way through the trees. Mattyn laid back down and lay completely still, holding his breath. The fox tripped, and fell into the two friends' small clearing.  
  
"'Ey! It's the two we're after!" he yelled.  
  
Mattyn leapt up, kicking Rilt awake. Rilt awoke, and saw the vermin running through the trees. He leapt out of his blanket, and drew the small sword and shield he had brought with him. Mattyn pulled out a sword and a loaded sling.  
  
"MAAATTTTYYYNN!!!" he yelled, stopping the vermin for a split second. In that fraction of time, Mattyn let his slingstone loose and slew a rat. He reached with one paw for another, and swung out with his sword. Rilt leapt with a will into the fray, and cut the fox down the middle. When Mattyn whacked the other rat with another stone, the remaining three vermin backed off.  
  
"Get outta here, leave us alone!" Mattyn yelled. The three vermin scampered off.  
  
The two sat down, thrilled at the victory, sick at the thought of vermin following them. 


	4. Three Captives

A/N :: Sorry, this chapter is REALLY short. But I got all I needed to say in. Now I'm going to play Red Alert 2!! Woo-hoo....  
  
New Disclaimer!  
  
The names: Tillpaw, Fellkaw, Lyarloe, Trassen, and Ascene are mine and you CAN'T use them.  
  
  
  
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Casorn cursed at the stupidity of the two rats, Tillpaw and Fellkaw. Got themselves slain, they did. More of all, he cursed how a mouse and a baby squirrel defeated five, fully-armed, fully-trained hordebeasts. The other ferret, Lyarloe, and the fox, Trassen, were keeping behind the moody Casorn.  
  
They were camped at a small creek running through the hills, but with the small forest grove in sight. Casorn yawned and was about to go to sleep when a movement caught his eye. The mouse!  
  
Hurriedly, he whispered to Trassen and Lyarloe, "Shhh! I see the mouse! You, Lyarloe, you come with me. Trassen, you get the squirrel." The three vermin stalked off into the night.  
  
  
  
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Mattyn and Rilt left the grove, Rilt trailing about ten pawsteps behind Mattyn. Rilt held little Matthias, and the three hoped fervently that the vermin had left. Suddenly, Mattyn sighed and collapsed. He ran over to wake him up. Suddenly, a fox pounced on the young squirrel, knocking him out. The last thing Rilt saw were two ferrets pulling the sleeping Mattyn away.  
  
  
  
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Cammaje waited patiently for his five vermin to return with the squirrel captive. In the meanwhile, he had sent two scouts out. One had returned, with a squirrel captive. The squirrel was a young female, full of tears and weeping. Cammaje had set her aside for later.  
  
He heard a group arrive into camp. Casorn was back!  
  
  
  
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The young squirrel sobbed silently, tied to a tall oak tree. Her name was Ascene Fleetfoot, of the Fleetfoot Drey. A nasty stoat had taken her from her family for a prisoner, while his friend slew her parents and little brother.  
  
Suddenly, some yelling and screaming brought her out of her self- pity. A young squirrel was squirming against two ferrets and a fox that were holding him, and a mouse was pleading with two rats to spare something. A weasel followed holding a small bundle.  
  
After a small squabble, the squirrel and mouse were out of breath and tied to the tree next to Ascene. The weasel dropped the bundle next to the mouse's footpaw.  
  
After a while, the young male squirrel attempted conversation. "What's your name, miss?"  
  
A stoat yelled, "Shut yore trap, skirrel, or yew'll be our suppa' t'morrow!"  
  
"It's Ascene," Ascene whispered.  
  
"What are you doing here, young missy?" the mouse asked.  
  
"I was captured by two vermin. They killed my family!" she hissed.  
  
"My name's Mattyn, and this here is Rilt. Don't worry about it. We'll get you free." 


End file.
